Guard-rail socket.



E. M. GLASS.

GUARD RAIL SOCKET. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.16, 1913.

1,120,048. Patented Dec.8,1914.

EARL M. GLASS, 0F PORT HURON, MICHIGAN.

GUARD-RAIL SOCKET.

To all whom it may concern Be it-known that I, EARL M. GLASS, citizen ofthe United States, residing at Port Huron, in the county of St. Clairand State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Guard-Rail Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fasteningdevices such as are employed in mounting the terminals of stair railsand the like to the wall or other supporting structure.

1t is-customary in mounting railings of all types, such as deck-rails onboats or ships, stair-way rails, and the like,to employ supporting cupsor flanges which are attached to the wall, deck, post, or. othersupporting structure, and are provided with screwthreaded bosses orsleeves which receive the threaded terminals of the rails. There hasbeen a long felt want for a device of this character which may becheaply manufactured, will be durable and eflicient in its action, andconstructed in such manner that it'may be quickly and readily applied toattach the rails to the supporting structure with a minimum expenditureof time and labor. Realizing the existence of the above conditions, Iaim, therefore, to provide in my invention a device of the character setforth which will consist of a minimum number of parts 'so constructedand designed that, when assembled, they will constitute a guard railsocket meeting all of the abovenamed requirements.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the followingspecification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims whichare appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferredembodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughoutthe several views of which similar reference numerals designatecorresponding parts, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken throughthe guard rail socket and the supporting structure to which it isattached; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the preferred form of the device,the neck being shown in section to more clearly illustrate the interiorarrangement of parts; Fig. 3 is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application filed September 16, 1913. Serial No. 790,099.

a detail perspective view of the base plate in disassembled position;and Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of the device,

the neck being shown in section in this figh ure.

Before proceeding to the description of the drawings, it is desirable toemphasize the fact that while the device of this invention has beendesigned with particular reference to the mounting of guard rails forship decks and the like, has been illustrated, and will be hereinafterdescribed in that connection, it may nevertheless be employed with equalefliciency in attaching rails, posts, fenders, or any other structureembodying terminally threaded pipes or rods which are to be attached towalls, posts, floors, or some other similar supporting structure.

Proceeding now to the description of the drawings, the preferredembodiment of this invention, as best illustrated in Fig. 1, includes abase plate 10, a flanged pipe receiving cup 11, and an anchoring bolt12. The base plate 10 is, as illustrated, preferably rectangular inshape, being formed of a metallic plate which may be casted or pressedfrom iron, steel, copper, brass, or any other desired material which maybe found most desirable.

The base plate 10 may be reinforced to lend the desired rigidity andstrength by forming an annular centrally disposed outstanding ring 13,four corner enlargements 14, and radially extending ribs 15 connectingthe ring and enlargements. It is obvious, however, that the plate may besimply of a flat nature without in any way departing from the spirit ofthis invention. The ring 13 of the preferred embodiment defines acentral opening which is formed in the plate and is adapted to receivethe shank of the anchoring bolt 12, as will be hereinafter more fullydisclosed. The corner enlargements 14; are provided with threaded boreswhich are indicated at 16 and are designed to receive bolts, screws orother suitable fastening devices which are employed in securing the railreceiving cup 11. This rail receiving cup 11 consists of a cup-shapedbody portion or shell 17, extending from the base edge of which is alaterally directed flange 18. On the outer edge of the flange 18 isformed an annular flange or rim 19 which extends at right angles to theplane of the flange 18-and. is

which are indicated at 20, and are counter,

sunk to provide for the reception of the bolt or screw heads, as will bereadily observed upon reference to Fig. 1. It is now to be noted thatthe cup body or shell portion 1? is of less diameter than the base plate10, and is reduced at its upper terminal, being internallyscrew-threaded thereat to receive the screwthreaded terminal of therail, illustrated conventionally at 21.

As a means for securing the base plate 10 to the wall, as illustrated inFig. 1, there has been provided an anchoring bolt, which ispreferably ofthe expansion type. This bolt includes a shank 22 having a head 28 ofany desired/ design. The shank 22 is screw-threaded'in the usual manner,and is tapered at its lower terminal, as illustrated at 24. A pair ofexpanding plates 25 and 26 are placed on the bolt shank and are adaptedto be expanded to bite into the wall in thewell known manner when thebolt is threaded inwardly. Upon reference to Fig.

4 1, it will be noted that, if so desired, a

E5: the requirements presented in-the various washer may be interposedbetween the head of the bolt and the base plate.

The actual construction and arrangement of the preferred form of thisinvention be ing thus disclosed, it now remains to describe briefly thevarious modifications to ,which the structure heretofore described maybe subjected.

As illustrated in Fig. l, the base plate may be made in the nature of acircular body and the flanges of the rod receiving cup formedcorrespondingly. In this con nection, it is to be noted that the shapeof the various elements is usually an arbitrary matter which will begoverned entirelyby applications of the retaining device. It is,therefore, desirable to emphasize the fact that the present'invention isdirected to the broad idea of providing a base plate, an an- BQ choringbolt, and a. rod receiving cup, rather than in the particular shape ordesign of the device.

The manner in which the various parts are assembled will be readilyobserved upon referenceto Fig, 1. The bolt shank is passed thnough thecentral opening of the base plate, and is then threaded into the members25 and 26, which have previously been disposed in the receiving formedin the deck. been threaded inwardly to bring the base plate 10 in thedesired engagement with the deck, the member 11 is attached by thethreadingpf the screws 20 into the receiving bores 16 in the base plate.It now re opening After the bolt has" nastiness parts may be resortedto, when required,

without sacrificing anyof the advantages of my invention, as defin d. inthe appended claims.

In regard to the employment of the expanding plate hereinbeforedescribed, it may be well to mention that when the rail fastening deviceof this invention is applied to metallic ship decks or the like, amachine bolt is used in securing the base plate. It has been found inpractice that the expanding plates should be used on the lag screws onlywhen the device is applied to cement or brick structures.

What I claim is .1. In a device of the character described,

a base plate having a central opening, screw-threaded bores formed atits corners, an expansible anchoring bolt having its shank passedthrough the opening and its head bearing against the upper face of thebase plate for securing the base plate to a supporting, structure, ashell member removably mounted on the base plate and including anannular body member having its outer end'restricted and internallyscrewthreaded, a laterally ext/ending outwardly directed flange formedon the inner end of the annular body member, and a peripheral flangeformed on the said first-mentioned flange and exmnding at right anglesthereto, being disposed when in assembled position to incase the baseplate, and bolts insertible through the said lateral flange and threadedinto the said bores for securing the shell member to the base plate.

2. In a device of the character described, a base plate, means forsecuring the base plate to a supporting structure, and a shell memberadapted to be detachably secured to the base plate and to form a covertherefor, said shell member including an annular body member having aninternally screwthreaded restricted outer end, a laterally extendingoutwardly directed flange formed on the inner end of the shell member,and a peripheral flange formed onthe said lateral flange and extendingat right angles thereto, being adapted to engage against the edge of thesaid base plate when in assembled position.

3. In a device of the character described,

internally screw-threaded outwardly extendin neck, said shell memberbeing rel-- movaby mounted on the base plate and completely inclosingthe same.

l. In a device of the character described, a base plate, an expansibleanchoring bolt passed through the plate for securing the plate to asupporting structure, and a shell member removably mounted on the baseplate said shell member including an annus lar body member having aninternally threaded restricted neck, and a peripheral flangeadapted toembrace the edge of the base plate, whereby the shell member com pletelyincloses the plate.

5. In a device of the character described,

a base plate, and a shell member removably mounted thereon, said shellmember includ-- ing an annular bod member havin an outwardly extendingange formed at lts lower terminal, and a peripheral flange formed on theoutwardly extending flange, .said outwardly extendin flange beingadapted to engage respective y with the upper face and edge of the baseplate, and an internally threaded restricted neck formed on the outerterminal of the shell member, said neck be ing adapted to receive thethreaded terminal of a rail or similar member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EARL M. GLASS. [L. 5.] Witnesses:

C. E. KEAN, F. C. WELLMEIN.

